What it means to be a Princess of England today
The term current princesses of England refers most commonly to HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales, and HRH Princess Mary, the only women currently holding the princely title Princess of England in their own right. As the wife of the Prince of Wales, Catherine holds the title Princess of Wales; as the daughter of a sovereign, Mary holds the title Princess Royal and is also styled Princess of England. This status_clarifier explains who holds the title today, how the style is conferred, and how succession and marriage affect its use.
HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales
Title, style, and how she holds it
Catherine is the Princess of Wales by marriage to William, the Prince of Wales. She uses the style Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. She is not a princess by birth or heredity but derives the title from her husband’s princely title. If William becomes king, Catherine would become queen consort and would not typically continue as Princess of Wales, though that decision is subject to future circumstances.
Importantly, the title Princess of Wales is a subsidiary title of the Prince of Wales and is not automatically inherited; it is used at the discretion of the sovereign. This means the style and its holders can shift with changes in the senior male heir’s principal title or at the monarch’s will.
Children and future status
Catherine’s children—Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, and Prince George of Wales—are each styled as princes or princesses. They use territorial designations (Wales) rather than sovereign-derived styles and will not automatically carry the style Princess of England themselves; their styles depend on letters patent and future sovereign decisions.
HRH Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of England
Her title and precedence
HRH The Princess Royal is the only living daughter of a reigning monarch in the United Kingdom. As such, she holds the style Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and is also styled Princess of England. The title Princess Royal is a distinct honor created in 1642 and is not automatically inherited; it is conferred by the sovereign to the eldest daughter of the monarch.
Princess Mary is first in line to succeed to the throne after the heir to the throne (the Prince of Wales) under current rules. Her status as both Princess Royal and Princess of England reflects her unique position as the sovereign’s only daughter.
How the rules around princesses of England work
The styles and titles in the British monarchy are shaped by historical precedent, letters patent, and the sovereign’s prerogative. Key points include:
- The title Princess of England is not a standalone dynastic title granted broadly to all female-line descendants.
- It is typically tied to the heir apparent’s spouse (Princess of Wales) or bestowed on the sovereign’s eldest daughter (Princess Royal).
- Marriage can introduce or change princely titles, but a divorced woman may continue to use a princely style if legally entitled at the time of marriage.
- Succession to the throne follows absolute primogeniture for those born after 28 October 2011, but title styles remain at the sovereign’s discretion.
Comparative snapshot: current princesses of England at a glance
| Name | Title(s) | Relationship to sovereign | How title is held | Notes on tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales | Princess of Wales; Her Royal Highness | Wife of the Prince of Wales | Derived from husband’s princely title | Subject to change if William becomes king |
| HRH The Princess Royal | Princess Royal; Princess of England; Her Royal Highness | Sovereign’s only daughter | Conferred by sovereign; historically tied to the eldest daughter | Held for life; not automatically inherited |
Common misconceptions and edge cases
Several misunderstandings arise around the term princesses of England:
- Not all princesses by birth are styled Princess of England; many use territorial titles (e.g., Scottish or Northern Irish peers) or HRH without a princely territorial designation.
- Princess by marriage does not always mean Princess of England; it depends on whether the associated princely title is currently used.
- A future Princess of Wales may be styled differently if the sovereign issues new letters patent or if the Prince of Wales holds additional titles that alter the traditional style.
Line of succession and who may hold the title next
Under current rules, after the Prince of Wales, the succession order places the Princess Royal in prominence among the sovereign’s descendants. Future princesses of England will depend on whom the sovereign designates and whether the Prince of Wales’s wife adopts or retains the title should he ascend to the throne. The title remains a personal gift from the monarch, not an automatic right, and may be modified or reassigned as the monarchy evolves.